Collapsible table.



J. K'O'NIG.

COLLAESIBLE TABLE.' APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3 I913,

Patented Feb. 8, 1916. 2 SHEETSSHEET I THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0,, WASHINGTON, n. C.

structure and which may be folded into a JOHN Kome, or CLEV LAND, oI-IIO. V I

coL APsIBnE TABLE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN Kerrie, a citizen of the United States, resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Collapsible Tables, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invenitsobject being to-provide a table light in compact form for transportation or storage.

The said lnvention cons sts of means hereinafter fully described and particularly set I j 1 pair of legs isprovided with a transverse forth in the claims. 1 a

The annexed drawings the following description set forth in detail certain means embodying my invention, the disclosed means, however, constitutingbut one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be applied.

In said annexed drawings :-Figure 1 is a front elevation of a table embodying my invention, showing the parts in the position" which they occupy when the table is set up. J Fig. 2 is an end elevation of said table. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a table showing the parts in a position which theyoccupy while the same are being folded. Fig. 4' is a fragmentary longitudinal section upon an enlarged scale.

taken upon the plane indicated by line V-V Fig. 5 is a transverse section in Fig. 1, alsoon an enlarged scale. Fig. 6

i t erspective View of a fragmentary or Fig. 7 is a front detail portion of the table. view of the table in its folded or collapsed form.

parts, the top, the legs with their braces, and a stiffening or supporting truss.

The top consists of two parts 1, 1, each consisting of an upper member 2, two down- "wardly projecting side members 3, 3, and

secured to these cross-pieces respectively, are

the hinges 6, 6, whose axes are in a straight The illustrated embodiment of my inven' tion includes in its structure three maln Specification of Letters Patent. r Patentgd 8 191 6; Application filed December 3, 1913. Serial no. 804,489.

fline perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis" of thetable. The two parts 1, 1, are of the same dlmenslons and may hence be folded one upon the other so as to form a complete .inclosed receptacle, as shown iin-Fig. 7 and as will be readily understood.

Secured to the vundersurface of each part 1 and near the outer endthereof is a pair of blocks'? and to these latter are hinged the.

legs 8,the hinge's beingarranged sothatthe legs may swing inwardly, as shown in Fig. 3',-

against the under side of the corresponding top-part 1. The location of'the'hingesis also such that when these legs are so swung they lie entirely within the parts 11 so that the lattermay be closed upon each, other without interferencefrom within.- Each inner ends articulate'withsuitable brackets 12 securedto blocks13 which are themselves suitably secured to the bottom of the mem-' bers 2- of the parts 1. Each of these latter braces consists of two partswhich are jointed, as shown in Fig. 6, the one. part being "provided with'a'stop 1.4 and the other with a notch 15 adapted to be engaged by said stop whereby the two parts of each brace may be held rigid when. in their operative position as shown in Fig. 1 and as will be readily understood.

Secured to the under side of the top of'the table is a truss 16 which comprises the tension members 17,17 and the compression members 18 and 19, these members being :made preferably of suitable bars. or strips The outer ends of the, tension members 17.,are provided with an off-set.

of metal.

portion 20, as shown in Fig. 3, and through this off-set portionpasses a pivotal screw f 21. The axes of these screws are in the same straight line and. preferably parallel ;with

the top and sides of the table. The upper ends of the compre'ssionmembers 18 and 19 are similarly pivoted to the cross-piece 5, as

shown in Fig. 4, by means of bolts 22, the axes of these bolts being in' alinement and coinciding with the. line of the axes of the screws 21.

It will therefore be seen that the entire truss may be swung upon an axis and so as to lie, within the interior of the two parts 1,1. An intermediate position of the truss its supporting or downwardly projecting" whenbeing so swung is illustrated in dotted tion at right angles withrespect tothe direc- :tion of' th'e axis of oscillation of the two parts 1, 1,.of the top and this axis also lies in the vertical plane passlng between the two abutting ends of these top parts. It I will therefore be seen :that the truss consists of two parts hlnged to each other, the

hinge axis being perpendicular to the axis of oscillation of the truss. By means of this construction, the truss when lying within the top part of the table may be folded with the two parts 1, 1.

In order to make the truss rigid when in position, theone compression member 18 has hinged thereto a bracket 24 having an arm 25 extending transversely of the table, the upper end of thislarm'being adapted to engage a plate 26 secured'to the member 2 of the corresponding part 1, as shown in Fig.

The axis of oscillation of this bracket; lies in a pivotal rod 27 and is vertical. A. coll-spring 28 surrounds thls rod and oneend thereof engages the compression member 18 and the other end engages the bracket 24:. This spring is so arranged that it will tend to impart to the bracket its transversely extending position, illustrated in Fig. 5.

When it "is desired to foldthe table, the bracket 25 is first swung, against the action of the spring 28, into a position parallel with the truss. The latter isthen folded'inwardly intothe interior of the top of the table and the weight of the trussprevents the spring 28 from changing the position of the bracket so imparted. The legs are then folded into the interior of the top and the two parts of the latter then folded upon each other so as to occupy the position shown in Fig. 7.; The legs are preferably made of wood and the braces 9 and 10 of suitable bar metal.

By means of the above-described arrangement of parts the top and legs of the table may be made very light, the truss 17 while" of saidtop,

pletely 'inclosed within the top when the latter is in its folded position and may therefore occupy a comparatively small space as a result of which it may be easily transported or stored.

The outer or swinging ends of the parts 1, 1, may, when "the table is in its collapsed or folded position, be secured in any suitable manner,as for instance by means of a swing ing hook 29 and headed pin 30 respectively secured to the ends of the two parts 1.

Having fully described my invention, what Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 7 1. In a collapsible table, the combination of a top; a truss comprising tension and compression members and having the outer ends of its tension members and the upper ends of its compression members hinged to the under side of said top, the axes of oscillation of all of said members lying in the same straight line parallel with said top; and an oscillatory member'carried by one of said compression members adapted to be swung into position at right angles with said-trussand to enga-ge the under surface of the top, whereby said truss may be held in its supporting position.

2. In acollapsible table, the combination of a.twopart hinged-top; atruss comprising two t'ensionand two compression members; onetenslon and one compression member being hinged to'the under side of each part the axes of oscillation of all of said members lying in the same straight lineparallel with said top when in its extended position; and a member having an axis of oscillationlperpendicular to the plane of the'top of the table when extended, said member being mounted upon one of said compression members and including an arm adapted to engage the under surface of the adjacent top member, whereby said truss may be held in its supporting position.

Signed by me, this 24th day of Nov, 1913.

HERMAN EsELE, NATHAN F. FRETTER.

(Jopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing'th e Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, 13.0. 

